CEMEX fetes winners of first students’ arts festival

February 24, 2015

A photo showing coins put together to form an image of national hero Jose Rizal bested other entries recently in one of the categories of the 1st IMPACT (IMages of Progress in ACTion) Students’ Festival, a competition organized by CEMEX Philippines which aims to engage the youth in nation-building and provide them more avenues for self-expression.

Named first prize winner in the photography category was Gian Paolo Garrido, a second year college student from Mapua Institute of Technology whose entry entitled “Value” won the nod of the judges for demonstrating outstanding artistry in illustrating the idea of seeing “Rizal through the Lens,” the theme for this year’s photography competition. This theme is also in line with CEMEX’s celebration of the 100th year of its Rizal Cement brand.

Angie Cariaso (“One Peso: Value vs. Worth”) of the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA-Molino was named second prize winner while Marco Mata (“Working Class Hero”) of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila won third place.

Garrido, who had won an award in a nationwide photography competition right on his very first try, explained that the inspiration behind his entry were the young people in his place. “Sa lugar namin maraming kabataan ang hindi marunong magpahalaga sa pera. Sabi nga ni Rizal, ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan. Kung pera pa lang hindi na sila marunong magpahalaga, paaano pa nila pahahalagahan ang ating bayan? [In our place, a lot of young people do not know how to value money. Rizal says the youth is the hope of our nation but if they do not know how to value money, how else can we expect them to be able to serve our country in the future]?” he asked.

In the IMPACT painting category, Mark Anthony Laza, a 2nd year Fine Arts Student of the Eulogio "Amang" Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology (EARIST) won first place for his entry entitled “Our Next Great Foundations.” The title is in reference to the youth whom he believes are the nation’s hope for a better society in the future.

"Our Next Great Foundations” by Mark Anthony Laza

To depict the painting contest’s theme, “Cementing Growth in the Philippines,” Laza has come up with a texturized image of a mason’s face then overlaid it with smiling faces of young people with their hands joined together. “Naniniwala ako na ang mga kabataan ngayon ang susunod na magiging pundasyon ng ating society. Kapag hinubog natin sila sa tuwid na landas, sila ang susunod na magiging leaders ng iba pang mga kabataan. [I believe that our next great foundation is the youth. If we train them towards the right path, they can be great leaders who can, in turn, train the other youths],” he said.

“It is a pleasure to see amazing works of budding artists who are very unique in expressing their ideas through their brushes and cameras. Art is where skills and story are bound into one beautifully crafted masterpiece. Art opens the avenue of imaginative interpretations— bringing in meaningful creative contexts. Indeed, art is an essential element in our everyday lives. Rest assured that CEMEX Philippines is here to help cultivate and support the Filipino art community,” said CEMEX Philippines Country President Pedro Palomino.

Laza (center) holds his plaque as his winning entry is flashed at the back

Building arts and culture with IMPACT

The first year of CEMEX’s IMPACT Students’ Festival showcased the best works of college students in the metro, particularly those taking up arts and communication. This initiative is also part of CEMEX Philippines Foundation’s thrust to build arts and culture in the country under its corporate social responsibility program dubbed Build the Nation Together.

“Our goal for this students’ festival is to encourage the youth to take on the challenge of contributing the best that they have in helping the nation move forward,” explained Chito Maniago, director for corporate communications and public affairs of CEMEX Philippines.

“We are happy with all the entries we have received right on the very first year of this competition and we look forward to reaching more schools and communities in the next leg of IMPACT,” he added.

“I’m so happy!” beamed Mark, who wanted to be a filmmaker someday. “This is a great way for me to start the new year. My winnings here can help me a great deal in my studies. I’ll also invest in new tools which I can use for my painting class. I’d like to thank our professors at EARIST who have encouraged us to join this contest.”

Some of the schools and colleges that participated in the students’ festival (art categories) include Far Eastern University, University of Santo Tomas, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Eulogio "Amang" Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology, Philippine Normal University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, University of Perpetual Help DALTA, Mapua Institute of Technology, and Technological University of the Philippines, just to name a few.

The judges for the painting competition were multi-awarded artists Ivan Roxas, Guerrero Habulan, Norman Dreo, and Jasper De Leon. Meanwhile, the judges for the photography competition were professional photographers Ernie Sarmiento, Ash Evasco, and Fritz Tentativa.

All the winning entries as well as the works of the other finalists have been put up in an exhibit at the ground floor of Glorietta 3 in February, coinciding the national arts month, while the formal awarding ceremony was held at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Conference Center. To view the winning entries and all pictures taken during the awarding ceremony, check out the Facebook page of CEMEX Philippines.